Appabatus



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N0 Model) E. SANDOW. EXBRGISING APPARATUS.

2 Sheets-Sheet, 2.

(No Model.)

E. SANDOW. BXERCISING APPARATUS.

Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

n i iiess e; z I

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

EUGENE SANDOXV, OF KUNIGSB'ERG, GERMANY.

EXERCISING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,971, dated January14, 1896.

Application filed November 13, 1893. Serial No. 490,803. (No model.)Patented in England November 12, 1892,170. 20,479.

To to wiwnt it may conceive.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE SANDOW, a citizen of Germany, and a residentof the city of Konigsberg, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Exercising Apparatus, (for which I have obtained BritishPatent No. 20,470, dated November 12, 1802,) of which the following is afull, clear, and. exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to assist in the development of themuscles of the legs, and particularly those of the inner and outer sidesof the thigh. The customary movements of the legs while walking,running, jumping, rowing, and riding bicycles are forward and backward.Consequently the lateral movements for bringing into play thosecomparatively dormant muscles of the inner and outer sides of the thighare greatly neglected. These thigh-muscles greatly supplement andreinforce the principal muscles, and it is the perfecting of the wholeleg, therefore, that I have in view by the introduction and use of myimprovements.

My apparatus is simple and cheap in con struction, and is made so thatit can be easily knocked down and transported from place to place whendesired.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts hereinafter described and claimed, reference .being made to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of theapparatus, illustrating one manner of its use. Fig. 2 is aview similarto Fig. 1, showing another way of using the same. Fig. 3 is a similarview showing yet another way of using it, and Fig. i is a side elevationof a modification of my apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a base-board '01- platform whichis about five or six feet in length, more or less, and rising from nearopposite ends thereof are two corresponding posts or standards B B.These standards B are, preferably, secured to said base-board byscrewing their lower screwthreaded ends into the sockets a a, whichlatter have their flanged lower edges secured to said board A.

The standards B are supplied with ferrules Z), in the dome-shaped upperends of which is secured an eye c. About midway their length theseferrules l) are pro vided with lateral oifsets, interiorly screwthreadedto receive the screw-threaded ends of the horizontal brace C. At a shortdistance below the ferrules h the standards are provided with sleeves(Z, in the extremities of a lateral offset of each of which an eye D issocured, as shown.

For convenience in taking the apparatus apart and also in setting it upI prefer to construct the brace C of two members, the meeting ends ofwhich are screw-threaded and connected together by means of a turnbuckleE, or similar device. A short distance from each of the ends of thebrace thus joined I secure a clip E, the lower part of which is loopedso as to form an eye, substantially as shown in the drawings.

In conjunction with the frame hereinbcfore described I provide straps gg, which are padded on their inner surfaces and are adapted to besecured around the lower or upper portion of'the leg, just below orabove the knee, and which are provided with staples or rings gprojecting from their outer surfaces.

G represents elastic cables or ropes, which are preferably made of softrubber incased in soft-rubber hose and provided at each end with rings72 secured in or to their ends, as shown. If desired, snap-hooks couldbe substituted for the rings just referred to. The rings of these cablesare connected by means of S-shaped hooks 7.1 to the staples g of thestraps g, and to the eye a or the eye D, or the clip E, respectively, asmay be desired.

The cables F, which are adapted to be secured at one end to the eyes a,are preferably slightly longer than the cables G, which are intended tobe connected to the eye D.

In operation my apparatus is used substantially as shown in thedrawings.

In Fig. 1 the operator is shown sitting opposite the center of the braceC, with his knees under said brace and his feet placed as near togetheras possible and resting on the base board. The straps g are secured tothe legs just above the knees, which are spread apart, and the shortercables G are coupled to the straps and to the eyes D on the standards.The exercise is obtained by moving the knees toward each other and thenslowly back to their original position again. This movement is repeateduntil the operator has completed his exercise. If one cable coupled toeach leg is not enough, two or more may be used.

In Fig. 2 the longer cables are connected to the eye 0 of each standard.One strap is coupled to the leg above the knee and the other strap tothe other leg below the knee. The original position of the operator isabout the same as that shown in Fig. 1, except that the tension of thecables draws the knees together instead of apart. The exercise is due tothe eifort required to spread the knees apart and then to let them comeslowly together again.

In Fig. 3 the cables are connected to the eyes of the clips E and thestraps are made into stirrups, which are attached to the pendent ends ofthe cables so that the feet can be conveniently placed therein. The legsare then moved in any direction desired-vertically, downwardly, orlaterally-so as to stretch the cables and obtain the necessary exercise.

In all three of the exercises above explained, the operator grasps thebrace with his hands and thus sustains himself as well as obtains a holdwhich will enable him to put more power into the exercise.

I do not wish to be confined to the exact construction of my improvedapparatus as hereinbefore described, because it is obvious changes maybe made therein, which would accomplish the same result withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. For example, in Fig. i I showa modified construction of my inventionwhich would probably answer thepurpose as well as the invention hereinbefore described. In thisconstruction the brace K is solid, and its ends are pivotally connectedto the ferrules m m on the top of the standards M M, instead of screwedinto the same, as hereinbefore described. The standards M are simplyinserted into the sockets m m, and are prevented from being withdrawntherefrom by a lateral pin 0. In

every other respect the apparatus is the same as that hereinbeforedescribed, having the same or corresponding eye-clips for attaching thecables, and being operated in the same manner.

WVhile I prefer to employ all of the eyes and clips hereinbeforereferred to, yet it is apparent that some of them maybe dispensed withand the remaining ones only used.

What I claim is 1. The combination with two stationary standards havingeyes secured thereto, and a brace connecting the upper portions of saidstandards, of straps attach able to the person. and elastic cablesprovided with devices for connection to said straps and said standards.substantially as described.

2. The combination with two stationary standards havin g eyes securedthereto at their upper ends, and other eyes at a point below the same,and a brace connecting the upper portions of said standards, of strapsattachable to the person, and elastic cables provided with devices forconnection with said straps and either set of eyes, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of two stationary standards having eyes secured,respectively, to their upperends and at a point a suitable distancebelow the same, abrace connecting the upper portions of said standards,clips secured to said brace, straps attachable to the person, andelastic cables provided with devices for connection with either set ofeyes. or the clips on the brace, substantially as described.

4:. The combination with two stationary standards, of a brace composedof two members united by a turn-buckle, straps attachable to the person,and elastic cables for connecting said straps to said standards,substantially as described.

EUGENE SANDOW. \Vitnesses F. ZIEGFELD, J 1:, MARTINus SIEVE'KING.

